Cloud Storage Fundamentals: Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Extra In contrast

Because of a big selection of cloud storage options, you not should journey round with a handful of USB sticks or a clunky exterior drive. Cloud storage permits you to backup your information and entry your knowledge from almost any gadget so long as you might have web entry. Most large companies function free tiers, letting you get a full style of what is potential by way of the cloud with out having to spend a penny.

Nonetheless, with so many companies on the market, it may be overwhelming to decide about which one to subscribe to. Whereas the free tiers provide help to strive every one out, we have compiled a brief information on the largest and greatest cloud storage options on the market to nail on the fundamentals.

TL;DR

However for individuals who want a TL;DR we have crafted a helpful chart…

	Google Drive	Microsoft OneDrive	Dropbox	Field	Amazon Cloud Drive	SugarSync	iDrive	Apple iCloud
Free Storage	15 GB	5 GB	2 GB	10 GB	5 GB	None	5 GB	5 GB
Yearly Worth for 1TB	$100 for 2TB	$70	$120 for 2TB	$180 for limitless	$60	$550	$15	$120 for 2TB
Paid Plans	$20/yr for 100GB $30/yr for 200GB $100/yr for 2TB $100/mo for 10TB $200/mo for 20TB $300/mo for 30TB	$2/mo for 100 GB $70/yr for 1TB $100/yr for 6TB OneDrive for Enterprise plans begin at $5/mo with 1TB per person	$120/yr for 2TB $200/yr for 3TB $150/yr for 5TB $240/yr for limitless storage	$10/mo for 100 GB $5/mo per person for 100GB $15/mo per person for limitless storage	$20/yr for 100GB $60/yr for 1TB $120/yr for 2TB $180/yr for 3TB	$7.50/mo for 100 GB $10/mo for 250GB $18.95/mo for 500GB $550/yr for 1 TB	$5/yr for 100 GB $15/yr for 1TB $80/yr for 5TB $100/yr for 10TB	$1/mo for 50GB $3/mo for 200GB $10/mo for 2TB
Supported OS	Android, iOS, Linux, Home windows, MacOS, Net Browser	Android, iOS, Mac, Linux, Home windows, Net	Android, iOS, Mac, Linux, Home windows, Net	Android, iOS, Mac, Linux, Home windows, Net	Android, iOS, Mac, Home windows, Net	Android, iOS, Home windows, Mac, Net	Android, iOS, Mac, Linux, Home windows, Net	iOS, Mac, Net
Finish-to-Finish Encryption	No	No	No	Sure	No	No	Sure	No
File Versioning	Sure	Sure	Sure	Sure	No	Sure	Sure	No
Two-Approach Sync	Sure	Sure	Sure	Sure	No	Sure	Sure	Sure
Different Options	Net Apps Collaboration OCR	Net Apps, Picture Tagging, OCR	Doc signing, Third Social gathering Integration, Password Supervisor	Collaboration options	Limitless Pictures with Amazon Prime	Distant Wipe	Disk Imaging	Disk Optimization Third Social gathering Integration

Google Drive

Google Drive is a part of each Google account together with 15GB of free cupboard space. Drive is accessible by way of an internet browser at drive.google.com, or with a devoted app for Android and iOS. The companion desktop apps for Home windows and Mac may also sync together with your native drives.

Google Drive contains some helpful options like the power to backup smartphones messages, or the power to transform PDF and photograph information into textual content by way of an built-in OCR operate.

Now, that area is shared together with your Gmail account and Google Pictures, so it will possibly refill surprisingly fast. Google Drive additionally integrates with a set of Google’s workplace net apps, together with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Nonetheless, some customers could also be involved about Google’s privateness and safety, main them to search out safer, however lesser recognized options. For instance, one of many greatest disadvantages to Google Drive is you could’t password shield a shared merchandise or folder.

If you would like more room, you may should subscribe to Google One, which options the next pricing:

• $2 a month / $20 a yr for 100GB
• $3 a month / $30 a yr for 200GB
• $10 a month / $100 a yr for 2TB
• $100 a month for 10TB
• $200 a month for 20TB
• $300 a month for 30TB

Google Drive Execs:

• First rate quantity of free storage
• Out there on all kinds of platforms on desktop and cellular
• Suite of productiveness apps, free real-time collaboration

Google Drive Cons:

• Restricted safety and privateness choices
• Tied into Google ecosystem
• A lot of included apps, all sharing the identical storage capability

Microsoft OneDrive

Customers of the most recent variations of Home windows needs to be aware of OneDrive, which is built-in into the File Explorer (for higher or for worse). However OneDrive is not unique to Home windows as there are purchasers that cowl Apple Mac, iOS and Android.

OneDrive comes with a couple of good options that permit you to higher arrange your information, or routinely tag your images. The devoted desktop apps may also sync your information and folders together with your native storage.

OneDrive is extra helpful when you’re a Microsoft Workplace person, because the cloud service permits you to share paperwork with others in your workgroup, present notifications about edited information, safe information with passwords, and extra. The cellular app may even scan bodily paperwork utilizing your telephone’s digicam, permitting you to signal and electronic mail them. These involved about safety needs to be comfortable to know that the service additionally features a Private Vault function, which requires identification verification to be able to entry them.

OneDrive comes with 5 GB of free storage, and gives a couple of paid plans:

• $2 a month for 100 GB of storage
• Microsoft 365 Private: $7 a month / $70 a yr, for 1TB of storage and contains Workplace Apps
• Microsoft 365 Household: $10 a month / $100 a yr for 6TB of storage

Customers may also change to a OneDrive for Enterprise Plan

• $5 a month per person with 1TB for every person
• $10 a month per person for limitless storage
• $6 a month per person for Microsoft 356 Enterprise Primary with 1TB per person
• $12.50 a month per person for Microsoft 365 Enterprise Normal with 1TB per person

Microsoft OneDrive Execs:

• Integrates absolutely into Home windows and Workplace
• Straightforward to share information and collaborate
• Security measures
• Cool options like cellular doc scanning and auto tagging images

Microsoft OneDrive Cons:

• Not a number of free storage
• Safety is not as sturdy as different choices

Dropbox

With a seamless and easy-to-use interface together with loads of options, Dropbox has grown to change into a favourite on this planet of cloud storage and syncing information. Together with Home windows, Mac, iOS, and Android purchasers, the service additionally helps Linux.

Like different companies together with Field, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox options file restoration, which lets you restore something you have deleted over the previous 30 days, however there’s additionally a model historical past function that permits customers to revert edited objects to their unique kind.

Dropbox supplies 256-bit AES encryption to your knowledge in addition to two-step authentication to assist hold knowledge safe. Customers who worth Dropbox’s privateness and security measures can decide to make use of this service in different ecosystems like Slack, Adobe, Microsoft Workplace, Autodesk, Canva and extra. Dropbox has additionally been increasing. It not too long ago acquired HelloSign, permitting paid Dropbox customers to signal and request signatures on paperwork. Dropbox gives a password supervisor, too.

Free Dropbox accounts include 2GB of storage and a 100 MB measurement restrict per switch, whereas paid plans go from $12 month for 2TB and the very best tier contains an infinite storage possibility:

• Dropbox Plus: $12 a month / $120 a yr for 2TB
• Dropbox Skilled: $20 a month / $200 a yr for 3TB
• Normal Staff Plan: $15 a month / $150 a yr for 5TB
• Superior group Plan: $25 a month / $240 a yr for limitless cupboard space

Dropbox Execs:

• Robust integration with varied apps and companies
• Out there on a number of platforms and working programs
• File versioning

Dropbox Cons:

• Restricted options, storage capability with free tier
• Generally is a bit easy to energy customers

Field

Field has confirmed to be widespread with enterprise customers because of good options that promote collaboration and make working with different customers somewhere else simpler. For instance, you should utilize Field to assign duties, go away feedback on information, change privateness controls, or set expiry dates on shared objects.

One of many greatest benefits to Field is safety: not solely does it provide AES 256-bit encryption, but it surely gives full end-to-end encryption (not even Field can get at your information) in addition to two-factor authentication.

Field additionally options integration with the Field Notes collaboration app, Field Relay workflow app, and Field Signal e-documents app. Nonetheless, compared to different companies on this checklist, Field would not function the strongest doc modifying options.

The free tier of Field comes with 10GB of storage, however a 250MB file add restrict. There are a number of methods to improve your Field storage restrict:

• Private Professional Account: $10 a month for 100 GB with 5GB file uploads
• Starter Enterprise Plan begins at $5 a month per person and contains 100GB
• Normal Enterprise Plan is $15 a month per person and contains limitless storage

Field Execs:

• Beneficiant Area for Free Accounts
• Robust collaboration emphasis
• Safety choices

Field Cons:

• Low add restrict without spending a dime accounts
• Paid accounts appear costly compared to others

Amazon Cloud Drive

To not be outdone by their rivals at Microsoft, Google, and Apple, tech large Amazon gives its personal cloud storage answer as effectively. However you need to know, Amazon is phasing it out, so we do not advocate utilizing it now however quite shifting over one of many different platforms when you at the moment use it to your information.

Each Amazon account comes with 5GB of free storage on Amazon Cloud Drive, which can be shared with the Amazon Pictures service (which is restricted to picture codecs, and can live on). Nonetheless, Amazon Prime customers get limitless Amazon Picture storage, which is helpful for these searching for an answer only for their albums.

Amazon’s Cloud Service was strictly designed to be targeted on paperwork, images and movies, so it was by no means a real cloud storage answer like others on this checklist. Moreover, it lacked two-way syncing, file versioning or backup options.

Amazon Cloud Drive Execs:

• Limitless photograph storage for Prime customers

Amazon Cloud Drive Cons:

• It is shutting down in 2023
• Restricted file assist
• Poor safety choices
• Restricted area with free tier

SugarSync

SugarSync focuses on safe file sharing, collaboration, and syncing and even includes a distant wipe function in case of loss, theft, or injury. Together with only a few different choices on this checklist, SugarSync gives file versioning, although it is restricted to simply 5 earlier variations of a file. There are a couple of considerations with the net app, because it solely permits for uploads of information as much as 300 MB.

SugarSync lacks a free tier, providing a 30-day free trial earlier than asking you to subscribe to one of many following plans:

• $7.50 a month for 100 GB
• $10 a month for 250GB
• $18.95 a month for 500GB
• $55 a month or $550 a yr for 1 TB of storage for a enterprise account which comes with extra admin controls and assist for extra customers

SugarSync Execs:

• Distant wipe function
• File versioning

SugarSync Cons:

• No free tier and expensive paid choices
• Poor net app

iDrive

For these searching for an answer tailor-made to backing up information, contemplate iDrive, which works with PC, Mac, iOS, and Android gadgets, in addition to assist for connecting and imaging exterior laborious drives. Like different companies, there’s additionally file versioning assist, which saves 30 totally different variations of the identical file. The service additionally gives end-to-end encryption, although this is not out there with shared information.

iDrive comes with 5GB of free storage and gives each private, group, enterprise, and enterprise plans. This is what that you must learn about how a lot you may must price range:

• $80 a yr for 5TB
• $100 a yr for 10TB

iDrive Execs:

• Disk imaging assist
• File versioning
• Finish-to-end encryption

iDrive Cons:

• Restricted collaboration and sharing options
• No limitless storage tier

Apple iCloud

Particular to these on Apple’s ecosystem, iCloud syncs seamlessly with iOS and Mac gadgets, and even permits some entry on different platforms by way of an internet browser. It gives deep integration with Apple gadgets much like how Microsoft has built-in OneDrive into Home windows, iCloud permits customers to optimize their on-device storage as wanted to unlock area.

iCloud is rather less annoying in your MacBook, however very pushy on iPhone and iPad the place it gives to backup all of your images and knowledge seamlessly, however that comfort comes at a value. iCloud includes a polished and simple to make use of interface, although energy customers could also be pissed off with the dearth of choices and superior options.

It contains 5GB of free storage, however Apple gives a number of plans beginning at:

Apple iCloud Execs:

Apple iCloud Cons: